Tim Oermann has made it. From the U19 of VfL Bochum to the Bundesliga team. He spoke to RS about his first outing against Cologne and what he has to thank Heiko Butscher for.

VfL Bochum must always try to develop its own talent for the Bundesliga. One who has made the leap is Tim Oermann.

He was promoted to the pros before the season, in the meantime his contract has been extended until 30 June 2026 and he has already been allowed to prove himself four times in the Bundesliga.

With a view to the long-term contract, he emphasised to RevierSport during the training camp in Spain: “That shows trust, a club doesn’t just do that. I was very happy about that because it simply fits with me and VfL.”

He will not forget 18 September 2022 in particular. It was here that he made his debut against 1. FC Köln. All this after a horror series of six defeats in a row at the start of the season and the change of coach from Thomas Reis to interim coach Heiko Butscher.

Oermann played 83 minutes, VfL picked up their first point and even today the talent remembers the day of his Bundesliga debut fondly. “That was a hurdle that was hard to imagine beforehand. It wasn’t just a debut, it was about being in the starting eleven straight away. That was hard for me to imagine. Once I got through it, I wanted more of it.”

It even went over 90 minutes in Leipzig after that, followed by two more partial appearances. Looking back at the game against Cologne, Oermann recalls, “I won’t forget that day. I watch the highlights from the game every now and then. I’d like to relive that because it was great when we were in the tunnel and then came onto the pitch.”

He is now on four Bundesliga games and the defensive man is willing to invest a lot to have a few more to follow. For a youth player, it is already a “first step” to get a professional contract and then to be able to play in the top flight.

Now further steps have to follow, as he explains: “Establishing yourself there, that will be the task now. The next steps are much bigger. I wouldn’t say that I haven’t achieved anything yet in my career. But as a professional footballer you want to be around as long as possible and achieve a lot. I still have a lot ahead of me, I still have a lot to do. “

That was already a bottle opener, because it came as a surprise to many that I played.

Tim Oermann

On the way so far, he was also lucky to benefit from the change of coach at short notice. After the Reis exit, his former U19 coach Heiko Butscher took over at short notice and threw him straight into the deep end against Cologne. Oermann: “It’s never nice when the coach is sacked. Everyone has a part to play in how things turned out. But I have a lot to thank Heiko Butscher for. Even in the U19s. That was a bottle opener, because it came as a surprise to many that I played. It was then up to me to perform.”

Which he succeeded in doing, and now he must try to attract further attention in the training camp in Spain. Especially since another central defender, Keven Schlotterbeck, was brought in from SC Freiburg. Oermann, who as a native of Bochum has always been a VfLer, wants to “earn the respect and his role in the team” as a young player.

He had to take a short break in Spain, but the “aches and pains” in his hip flexor have already been cured. (with gp)